Page 68 of Never His Girl
“Regionals,” she mostly says to herself, but I know why that part of my statement stuck out to her. Because, before that, we’d turned a corner. Only to have Vin open his mouth and fuck everything up.
Including me.
“That’s why you were so cold, so… distant,” she says, peering up.
I’m ashamed to admit it, knowing how naïve I must seem in her eyes, but that’s because she has no idea the evil my father’s capable of.
I only nod, letting her know she isn’t wrong.
“He got inside my head, which is what he does best,” I admit. “But whatever the case, he doesn’t want us together, and he wants me to stay as far away from you as possible.”
Southside’s quiet again while she thinks.
“But why, though?” she asks. “Does he think I know something?”
I shrug, because I have no idea.
“He hasn’t revealed all his cards, but I do think we should be careful,” I add, meeting her gaze when she looks up.
“Now you’re starting to sound like my brother.”
I’m not sure what to make of that.
“I went to visit him last month,” she shares. “He was in pretty bad shape, cuts and bruises all over. He wouldn’t talk to me over the phone, though. Just kept insisting that Ricky convince me to come see him. Then, when I got there, he told me to be careful and to watch my back.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end hearing this, making connections I hadn’t before. Like… maybe the Riley’sdohave a Golden with his hands around their throat.
My father’s.
And with what Southside just revealed, I’m starting to wonder if her brother and Vin aren’t connected somehow. One thing’s for sure, I don’t intend to take Hunter’s warning lightly. If he went out of his way to get her there, in person, just to tell her to watch her back, I’m willing to bet that isn’t a bluff.
Chapter 23
BLUE
The feel of a warm hand resting on my thigh startles me awake. But my heart settles when I follow the length of a long, tattooed arm over the edge of my bed. I peer down to where West—in all his sexy-as-sin hotness—fell asleep on my bedroom floor last night.
Well, it was more like morning.
Our conversation carried on for a while, until I dozed, I’m guessing. Not sure at what point he decided he wasn’t leaving, but… I don’t entirely hate waking up to find him here.
We talked about quite a bit, including the fact that Parker was behind my allergic reaction at the Monster Bash. Yeah, he had to talk me down from clawing out her eyes the next time I see her, but the point is he told me without being prompted. Even at the risk of me losing my shit and blowing his cover the next time my path crosses hers, he didn’t hold back.
Almost like… he trusts me.
The shit with his dad has us both baffled, but I sure as hell intend to question Ricky about it. While I should be super suspicious of him, our history won’t allow it. Whatever he meant by that statement he made to West, there’s an explanation.
There has to be.
I still don’t quite know what to make of West, though. Not after getting off to such a rocky start, but the hatred I held isn’t nearly as potent. Actually, it’s possible I’ve let it go completely.
Staring down on him while he sleeps, using the pink teddy bear I got from Hunter on my tenth birthday as a pillow, it’s hard to consider him my enemy. Especially since I sort of identify with him on some level. If anyone can understand the effects of the parentals fucking you up in the head, it’s me.
A dog barks a few doors down and it makes him stir a little, but his hand doesn’t leave me. It makes me wonder if he slept with it there the whole night and I didn’t notice. There’s something about his brokenness I find beautiful. Maybe because it makes him real, flawed just like the rest of us.
I close my eyes, planning to just lie there until he wakes, but when someone’s heavy fist starts pounding the front door, we both sit straight up.
I’m on my feet, squinting into the sunlight as I peer out through my curtains.